Improvement in ramrods for fire-arms



H. F.' PETER. Bamrnds for Fire-Arms.

Patented Nov. 3,1874.

NVENTOR ATTORNEYS I WITNESS s UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN F. PETER, OF LANCASTER, OHIO.

IMPRO VEME NT IN RAMRODS FOR FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 156,497, dated November 3, 1874; application filed September. 26, 1874.

,of a vertical sectional view of my sectional 'ramrod. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view, Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View, and Fig.4 is a detail view, of the same.

This invention has relation to sectional ramrods, which are especially designed for breechloading pieces wherein the barrel is hinged in front of its butt. The nature of my invention consists in a ramrod having a solid head applied to a tubular body, in the rear end of which is a solid sliding portion, provided with a spring latch, and acted on by a helical spring contained in the body, the said springlatch being so constructed and applied that in the act of inserting the rod in its thimbles 1 one of these thimbles will press the latch inward, and allow the rod to be shortened, and when the rod is withdrawn it will be extended and held so by the latch, as will be fully explained hereinafter.

In the annexed drawings, Fig. 1, I have represented my improved ramrod applied in its place in a side arm, having its barrel hinged some distance in front of the butt. This ramrod is composed of two solid parts, A B, and an intermediate tubular part, 0. The part A is the head of the rod, and is rigidly secured to the tube 0. The part Bis endwise movable in the tube 0, and has a recess, a, in it, in which a latch, D, is pivoted by a pin, b. The free end of this latch has a swell, c, and a blunt catching extremity, c, and this latch is acted on by a spring, d, which forces its swelled end outwardly, and causes it to enter a slot, 6, through tube 0, as shown in Fig. 3, thus holding the solid part B extended when the rod is removed from the thimbles E E. A spring, S, presses out the solid part B, and the pin b, working in long slots f f through the tube 0, prevents the expulsion of the part B, and also prevents it rotating in the tube 0.

In the act of introducing the ramrod in its place in the gun, the thimble E will press the latch inwardly and release the solid part B, thus allowing this part to slide inside of the tube 0, and shorten the rod, as shown in Fig. 1. When, on withdrawing the ramrod, the latch D passes the thimble E, the spring S will force out the solid portion B, until it is caught and held by the latch entering the slot 6. vThe rod is now the proper length for use.

I do not claim, broadly, a telescopic ramrod.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure HERMAN F. PETER.

Witnesses:

JOHN S. BRASEE, H. 0. DRINKLE. 

